nadir

|ˈnādər; ˈnādi(ə)r|noun [in sing. ]the lowest point in the fortunes of a person or organization : they had reached the nadir of their sufferings.• Astronomy the point on the celestial sphere directly below an observer. The opposite of zenith .

wan

|wän|adjective(of a person's complexion or appearance) pale and giving the impression of illness or exhaustion : she was looking wan and bleary-eyed. See note at pale .• (of light) pale; weak : the wan dawn light.• (of a smile) weak; strained.• poetic/literary (of the sea) without luster; dark andgloomy.

foyer

|ˈfoiər; ˈfoiˌā|nounan entrance hall or other open area in a building used by the public, esp. a hotel or theater.• an entrance hall in a house or apartment.

sclera

|ˈskli(ə)rə|noun Anatomythe white outer layer of the eyeball. At the front of the eye it is continuous with the cornea.

orchidaceous

orchidaceous |ˌôrkiˈdā sh əs|adjective Botanyof, relating to, or denoting plants of the orchid family (Orchidaceae).

septuagenarian

|ˌsep ch oōəjəˈne(ə)rēən|nouna person who is from 70 to 79 years old.

tumescent

tumescent |t(y)oōˈmesənt|adjectiveswollen or becoming swollen, esp. as a response to sexual arousal.• figurative (esp. of language or literary style) pompous or pretentious; tumid : his prose is tumescent, full of orotund language.

anthracite

anthracite |ˈanθrəˌsīt|nouncoal of a hard variety that contains relatively pure carbon and burns with little flame and smoke. Also called hard coal .

roué

|roōˈā|nouna debauched man, esp. an elderly one.

paucity

paucity |ˈpôsitē|noun [in sing. ]the presence of something only in small or insufficient quantities or amounts; scarcity : a paucity ofinformation.

propinquity

|prəˈpi ng kwətē|noun1 the state of being close to someone or something;proximity : he kept his distance as though afraid propinquity might lead him into temptation.2 technical close kinship.

vicissitude

|vəˈsisəˌt(y)oōd|noun (usu. vicissitudes)a change of circumstances or fortune, typically one that is unwelcome or unpleasant : her husband's sharp vicissitudes of fortune.• poetic/literary alternation between opposite or contrasting things : the vicissitude of the seasons.

mezzanine

|ˈmezəˌnēn; ˌmezəˈnēn|nouna low story between two others in a building, typically between the ground and first floors.• the lowest balcony of a theater, stadium, etc., or the front rows of the balcony.adjective [ attrib. ] Financerelating to or denoting unsecured, higher-yielding loans that are subordinate to bank loans and secured loans but rank above equity.

rutilant

|ˈroōtl-ənt|adjective poetic/literaryglowing or glittering with red or golden light : rutilant gems.

fasces

|ˈfasˌēz|plural noun historical(in ancient Rome) a bundle of rods with a projectingax blade, carried by a lictor as a symbol of amagistrate's power.

fasces

• (in Fascist Italy) such items used as emblems of authority.

supernal

|səˈpərnl|adjective chiefly poetic/literaryof or relating to the sky or the heavens; celestial.• of exceptional quality or extent : he is the supernalpoet of our age | supernal erudition.

ultimate thule

1. The northernmost region of the habitable world as thought of by ancient geographers. 2. A distant territory or destination. 3. A remote goal or ideal: "the ultima Thule of technology, the ne plus ultra . . . the answer to every earthly problem" (John Gould).

spansule

|ˈspansoōl|noun trademarka capsule that when swallowed releases one or more medicinal drugs over a set period.

succor

|ˈsəkər| ( Brit. succour)nounassistance and support in times of hardship and distress.• ( succors) archaic reinforcements of troops.verb [ trans. ]give assistance or aid to : prisoners of war were liberated and succored.

cadre

|ˈkadrē; ˈkäd-; -ˌrā|nouna small group of people specially trained for a particular purpose or profession : a small cadre of scientists.• a group of activists in a communist or other revolutionary organization.• a member of such a group.

callow

|ˈkalō|adjective(esp. of a young person) inexperienced and immature :earnest and callow undergraduates. See notes at gullible, rude, youthful .

sine qua non

sine qua non |ˌsini ˌkwä ˈnōn; ˌsini ˌkwä ˈnän|nounan essential condition; a thing that is absolutely necessary : grammar and usage are the sine qua non of language teaching and learning.

satyriasis

|ˌsatəˈrīəsis; ˌsā-|noununcontrollable or excessive sexual desire in a man.Compare with nymphomania .

languor

|ˈla ng (g)ər|noun1 the state or feeling, often pleasant, of tiredness orinertia : he remembered the languor and warm happiness ofthose golden afternoons.2 an oppressive stillness of the air : the afternoon was hot, quiet, and heavy with languor.

regale

|riˈgāl|verb [ trans. ]entertain or amuse (someone) with talk : he regaled herwith a colorful account of that afternoon's meeting.• lavishly supply (someone) with food or drink : he was regaled with excellent home cooking.

avant la lettre

1. (The addition of quotations indicative of this usage is being sought): (idiomatic) Before the term was coined; used after a term applied anachronistically.

   Suffragettes were feminists avant la lettre. — Suffragettes were feminists before the word "feminist" existed.

   [The events of 1848] were transmuted into a symbol of fraternal multiculturalism avant la lettre.

   
   

notate

notate |ˈnōˌtāt|verb [ trans. ]write (something, typically music) in notation.

mawkish

|ˈmôki sh |adjectivesentimental in a feeble or sickly way : a mawkish poem.See note at sentimental .• archaic or dialect having a faint sickly flavor : the mawkish smell of warm beer.

bathos

 |ˈbāθäs|noun(esp. in a work of literature) an effect of anticlimax created by an unintentional lapse in mood from the sublime to the trivial or ridiculous.

- bathetic

hortatory

 |ˈhôrtəˌtôrē|adjectivetending or aiming to exhort : the central bank relied on hortatory messages and voluntary compliance.

levin

levin |ˈlevin|noun archaiclightning; thunderbolts.

operose

operose |ˈäpəˌrōs|adjective rareinvolving or displaying much industry or effort.

compline

compline |ˈkämplin; -ˌplīn|nouna service of evening prayers forming part of the Divine Office of the Western Christian Church, traditionally said (or chanted) before retiring for the night.

pietism

pietism |ˈpī-iˌtizəm|nounpious sentiment, esp. of an exaggerated or affected nature.• (usu. Pietism) a 17th-century movement for the revival of piety in the Lutheran Church. [ORIGIN: from German Pietismus, from modern Latin, based on Latin pietas (see piety ).]

exiguous

adjective

Excessively scanty; inadqeuate.

catafalque

catafalque |ˈkatəˌfô(l)k; -ˌfalk|nouna decorated wooden framework supporting the coffin of a distinguished person during a funeral or while lying in state.

sacerdotal

sacerdotal |ˌsasərˈdōtl; ˌsakər-|adjectiverelating to priests or the priesthood; priestly.• Theology relating to or denoting a doctrine thatascribes sacrificial functions and spiritual or supernatural powers to ordained priests.DERIVATIVESsacerdotalism |-ˌizəm| noun

viscera

viscera |ˈvisərə|plural noun ( sing. viscus |ˈviskəs|)the internal organs in the main cavities of the body, esp. those in the abdomen, e.g., the intestines.

immolate

immolate |ˈiməˌlāt|verb [ trans. ]kill or offer as a sacrifice, esp. by burning.DERIVATIVESimmolation |ˌiməˈlā sh ən| nounimmolator |-ˌlātər| noun

billet-doux

billet-doux |ˈbilā ˈdoō; ˈbēyā-|noun ( pl. billets-doux pronunc. same or |-ˈdoōz|)dated or humorousa love letter.

aigrette

aigrette |āˈgret|nouna headdress consisting of a white egret's feather or other decoration such as a spray of gems.

moue

moue |moō|nouna pouting expression used to convey annoyance or distaste.

supercilious

supercilious |ˌsoōpərˈsilēəs|adjectivebehaving or looking as though one thinks one issuperior to others : a supercilious lady's maid.DERIVATIVESsuperciliously adverbsuperciliousness noun

parure

parure |pəˈroŏr|nouna set of jewels intended to be worn together.

trousseau

trousseau |ˈtroōˌsō; ˌtroōˈsō|noun ( pl. -seaux pronunc. same, or -seaus )the clothes, household linen, and other belongingscollected by a bride for her marriage.

chatelaine

chatelaine |ˈ sh atlˌān|noun dateda woman in charge of a large house.• historical a set of short chains attached to a woman's belt, used for carrying keys or other items.

serge

serge |sərj|nouna durable twilled woolen or worsted fabric.verb [ trans. ]overcast (the edge of a piece of material) to prevent fraying.

vicuña

vicuña |vīˈk(y)oōnə və-; ˈkoōnyə|nouna wild relative of the llama, inhabiting mountainousregions of South America and valued for its fine silky wool. • Vicugna vicugna, family Camelidae.• cloth made from this wool or an imitation of it.

carillon

carillon |ˈkarəˌlän; -lən|nouna set of bells in a tower, played using a keyboard or by an automatic mechanism similar to a piano roll.• a tune played on such bells.

pellucid

pellucid |pəˈloōsid|adjectivetranslucently clear : mountains reflected in the pellucid waters.• lucid in style or meaning; easily understood : he writes, as always, in pellucid prose.• (of music or other sound) clear and pure in tone : asmooth legato and pellucid singing tone are his calling cards.

spumante

spumante |spəˈmäntē; spyə-|nounan Italian sparkling white wine.ORIGIN Italian, literally ‘sparkling.’

muscat

muscat |ˈməsˌkat; -kət|noun [often as adj. ]a variety of white, red, or black grape with a musky scent, grown in warm climates for wine or raisins or as table grapes.• a wine made from a muscat grape, esp. a sweet or fortified white wine.

recitative

recitative |ˌres(ə)təˈtēv|nounmusical declamation of the kind usual in the narrative and dialogue parts of opera and oratorio, sung in the rhythm of ordinary speech with many words on the same note : singing in recitative.

somnolent

somnolent |ˈsämnələnt|adjectivesleepy; drowsy.• causing or suggestive of drowsiness : a somnolent summer day.• Medicine abnormally drowsy.DERIVATIVESsomnolence nounsomnolency nounsomnolently adverb

cloisonne

cloisonné |ˌkloizəˈnā; ˌklwäz-| (also cloisonné enamel) noun enamel work in which the different colors are separated by strips of flattened wire placed edgeways on a metal backing.

stertorous

stertorous |ˈstərtərəs|adjective(of breathing) noisy and labored.DERIVATIVESstertorously adverb

octavo

octavo |äkˈtävō| (abbr.: 8vo)noun ( pl. -vos)a size of book page that results from the folding of each printed sheet into eight leaves (sixteen pages).• a book of this size.

gourmand

gourmand |goŏrˈmänd|nouna person who enjoys eating and often eats too much.• a connoisseur of good food. See usage below.DERIVATIVESgourmandism |ˈgoŏrmənˌdizəm| nounORIGIN late Middle English : from Old French, of unknown origin.

castellated

castellated |ˈkastəˌlātid|adjective1 having battlements : a castellated tower.• (of a nut or other mechanical part) having grooves or slots on its upper face.2 having a castle or several castles : the castellated hills along the east bank.

stipple

stipple |ˈstipəl|verb [ trans. ](in drawing, painting, and engraving) mark (a surface) with numerous small dots or specks : [as n. ] (stippling) the miniaturist's use of stippling.• produce a decorative effect on (paint or other material) by roughening its surface when it is wet.nounthe process or technique of stippling a surface, or theeffect so created.

deliquescent

deliquescent |deliˈkwesənt|adjectivebecoming liquid or having a tendency to become liquid.• Chemistry (of a solid) tending to absorb moisture from the air and dissolve in it.DERIVATIVESdeliquescence noun

girder

girder |ˈgərdər|nouna large iron or steel beam or compound structure used for building bridges and the framework of large buildings.

engagé

engagé |ˌä ng gäˈ zh ā|adjective(of a writer, artist, or their works) morally committedto a particular aim or cause.

pistillation

† pistillation, n.

[‘Pounding with a pestle.’]

Etymology: <  classical Latin pistillum (see pestle n.) + -ation suffix.

 Obs. rare.

  Pounding with a pestle.

1646  Sir T. Browne Pseudodoxia Epidemica ii. v. 83 They submit unto pistillation, and resist not an ordinary pestle.

1683  R. Dixon Canidia iii. xv. 115 Whether 'tis worth a Revelation,..If Diamonds yield to Pistillation?

1797  J. A. Fahrenkrüger N. Bailey's Wörterbuch (ed. 9) II. 446/1 Stampfen, n. stamping, beating, braying, pounding, pistillation.

psithurisma

† psithurisma, n.

[‘Whispering; a whispering noise.’]

Forms: α.   18 psithurisma.  β.   18 psithurism. 

Etymology: <  Hellenistic Greek ψιθύρισμα (also ψιθυρισμός) (noun) whispering <  ancient Greek ψιθυρίζειν to whisper (probably <  ψίθυρος (adjective) whispering, slanderous, of uncertain origin + -ίζειν -ize suffix, although the adjective may be derived from the verb) + -ισμα (also -ισμός) -ism suffix.

N.E.D. (1909) gives the headword form as psithurism with the pronunciation as (psi·þiŭriz'm) /ˈpsɪθjʊərɪz(ə)m/.

 Obs.

  Whispering; a whispering noise.

1848  L. Hunt Jar of Honey 61 There is the continuous whisper in psithurisma.

1856  J. E. Cooke Last of Foresters xxxii. 192 A murmurous laughter of mocking winds arose at times, and rustled on, and died away into the psithurisma of Theocritus.

1872  M. Collins Princess Clarice II. xix. 218 Psithurism of multitudinous leaves made ghostly music.

1883 Cent. Mag. Oct. 932/2 The popularity of our new hexameter with simple readers who know little of the Homeric roll, the Sicilian psithurisma, or Virgil's liquid flow, has been demonstrated.

cavalier

cavalier |ˌkavəˈli(ə)r|noun1 ( Cavalier) historical a supporter of King Charles I in the English Civil War.• archaic or poetic/literary a courtly gentleman, esp. one acting as a lady's escort.• archaic a horseman, esp. a cavalryman.2 (also Cavalier King Charles) a small spaniel of a breed with a moderately long, noncurly, silky coat.adjectiveshowing a lack of proper concern; offhand : Anne was irritated by his cavalier attitude.DERIVATIVES

eclaircissement

éclaircissement |āˌklersēsˈmä n |noun archaic or poetic/literaryan enlightening explanation of something, typically someone's conduct, that has been hitherto inexplicable.